Fertilizer mixer and distributer.



J. v. O ARTER FERTILIZER MIXER. AND DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED APILS, 1911.

LL M 4 H mm w m 3 E An M Ma Q llll ll J w u 3 .4 5? MM P 0 2 1 1 7. 2 01 in, 0 J .3 m IN I! v 2 nome o v. CARTER. FERTILIZER MIXER ANDDISTRIBUTE-R.

ARPLIOATION IILED APR. 3, 1911.

L2. Mr w Z W Am m fiv m E u JAMES VERNON CARTER, QF ELLIOTT, SOUTHCAROLINA.

FERTILIZER MIXER AND DISTRIBUTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 3, 1911. Serial No. 618,552.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES VERNON CARTER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Elliott, in the county of Lee and State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFertilizer Mixers and Distributers; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

' I My invention relates to mixers for dry,

semi-plastic or plastic materials, and more particularly to fertilizermixers and distributers and the like, and consists of means wherebydifferent substances or different grades of the same substance may beautomatically combined in certain definite proportions without thenecessity of measuring 'or weighing said materials to assure the properproportions thereof; and further consists in a simple structure readilyoperated by unskilled labor and easy of construction and repair.

The objects of this invention will become apparent as it is more fullyset forth.

It is well known that farmers have dithculty in properly distributingand mixing the fertilizing material required by their lands, mainlybecause of the expense involved in placing it on them, and thediiticulty in obtaining a machine to mix it so as to be used suitably,and in cases where a machine is used to keep the same in running orderand preventing it from clogging.

In this invention means are provided to loosely mix the material, andalso to keep the same stirred up suiliciently to prevent its cloggingthe working parts of the machine, at the same time the stirringmechanism assists in propelling the material through the machine, inaddition to properly mixing and distributing the fertilizing material.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example, anembodiment of my invention: Figure 1- is a view of the rotatingdischarge members used in my machine. Fig. 2 is a view looking down ontop of the machine with the upper portion of the hopper removed. Fig. 3is an end view of the machine partly in section. Fig. a

shows one of the special gears used for varying the speed of thedischarge members.

The same letters and figures of reference denote the same parts whereverthey are shown.

1 denotes the frame work or body of the machine. The lower portion ofwhich consists of three chambers; 2, 3 and 4c, in which are positionedthe worm-like members '22, 23 and 24. Y

The hoppers 5, 6 and 7 communicate with the chambers 2, 8 and 4, asshown, and anything placed in said hoppers immediately falls into thedischarge worms.

The wheels 8 and 9 attached to the axle 83 are provided-for driving andsupporting the machine. These wheels run over the ground indicated at 10as the machine is drawn along. The motion of the axle 33 is transmittedby means of a sprocket 34 and chain 12 to the sprocket l1 and axle 32,which is supported in suitable bearings 14 and 15. Carried by said axleis the gear 16, having on its face a number of sets of teeth as shown'at28, 29 and 30, Fig. 4.

The axle of the center discharge member 3, is positioned at a rightangle tothe shaft 32 and is equipped at its end with a gear 17, which isadjustable on the axle by any suitable means, such as the set screw 38.

On the other end of the shaft 83 is mounted the sprocket 11 of the chain13, transmits motion to the Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

which, by means" sprocket- 2 l carried by shaft 81 on which sprocket 27;which, by means of chain 26,

transmits motion to sprocket 40 attached to shaft 39, carrying thecleaning members 25, 25" and 25. These f aning members revolve betweenthe worm-like discharge members and serve to prevent them from becomingclogged with the material placed in the hoppers; and as they revolvethey prevent the hopper itself from becoming choked.

While I have shown the side shafts 3.1

In operation, various kinds of fertilizing material which 1t is desiredto combine in :certain proportions are placed in the hop pers 5, 6 and'l, the machlne 1s now drawn over the ground and it will be. seen thatthe (materials in the hoppers will fall into the chambers 22, 3 and l,in which the discharge it. will be observed that by adjusting the gears17, 18 and 19 in relation to the gears 16, 20 and 21 that any one of thedischarge members can be rotated at a different speed from the others,thereby causing more or less of the substance being fed through said bemixed in any desired. quantities.

discharge member to be deposited in the hopper 35; and thereby thevarious mate rials placed in the different hoppers are combined in anydesired proportion.

- While for the sake of illustration I have only shown three hoppers,with their associated discharge members, it will be understood that anynumber of hoppers and discharge members may be used. I also anticipatethe use of any known gearing to give a varied number of revolutions tothe various worm-like discharge members; so that the materiaifrom thevarious. hoppers can And, while I have shown chains and sprockets as ameans of transmitting motion from the main driving shaft to the variousparts of my machine, it will be understood that any othceir suitablemeans of transmission may be use I Having thus described my invention, Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patentthe following 1. A mixer anddistributer' for fertilizer comprising in combination a plurality ofhoppers for receiving materials, a plurality of chambers having openingsin their end portions anddisposed within said hoppers, a plurality ofworm-wheels disposed and rotatably in the lower portion of said chambersand adapted to push said materials through said openings, a funnelshaped hopper an ranged to receive and mix the materials from saidchamber and distribute them on the ground, cleaning members disposedoversaid comprising in combination. a plurality of hoppers for receivingmaterials, a plurality of chambers integrally formed with said hoppersand having their lower portions of circular shape and provided with endopen ings, a plurality of worms horizontally disposed in said chambersand adapted to eject said materials through said openings, a funnelshaped hopper arranged to receive and mix the materials from saidchamber and distribute them on the ground, cleaning members disposedover said worms and ar ranged to actuate in the-planes of the axes andin the valleys of the worms, means for supporting and-actuating saidworms and members, a carriage body for supporting the parts of themachine, an axle secured to said body and a plurality of wheels on saidaxle for propelling said body.

'3. A mixer and distributer jfor fertilizer comprising in combination a;plurality'of hoppers for receiving materials, a plurality of chambersintegrally formed with said hoppers and having their lower portions ofcircular shape and horizontally disposed and providedwith openings inone end of each of said chambers, a plurality of rotatable ground,cleaning members having a plu- 'iod rality of blades disposed in sameplane as the axes and arranged to clean the worms and stir up thematerials in the hoppers and push said material toward said openings,means for supporting and actuating said worms and members, a carriagebody for supporting the parts of the machine, an axle secured to saidbody and a plurality of wheels on said axle for propelling said body.

4. A mixer and distributer comprising in combination a plurality ofadjacent hoppers for receiving material, a chamber integrally formedwith each hopper and having its bottom portion semi cylindrically formedand horizontally disposed below the hopper and provided with a circularopening at one end for the exit of said material, a rotatable wormhorizontally disposed in and closely fitting in said bottom portion andarranged to eject material through said opening, a funnel shaped hopperarranged to receive and converge materials from said hoppers anddistribute them to the ground, a cleaning member having four radial fiatblades disposed over each worm and adapted to stir up said. materialsand keep from clogging in the worm, a common axle for rials toward saidopenings, a body for supporting the parts of the machine, an Intestimony whereof I hereunto afix my axle secured to said body,plurality of signature in the presence of twowitnesses. ground wheels onsaid axles for propelling JAMESVERNON CARTER said body, transmissionmeans on the last mentioned axle for actuating the'members' Witnesses:

and worms at speeds proportional to the H. R. VAN DEVENTER,

speed of the wheels. L. G. DIULSIUS,

